Submit S'more!

Wanna Get Published?

Submit—then Submit S’more!

You've heard how the novels of famous authors were turned down dozens of times before becoming household names? Have you submitted that article or manuscript dozens of times? How often do you submit? Every week? Fantastic! You are leaps ahead of the pack. This article is for the rest of us. The ones who let submission and contest deadlines slide. The ones for whom each rejection paralyzes our pens. The ones to whom our jealous muses whisper our writing is just as good. 

Put your writing in the way of success. The more I submit, the more I refine my craft. Query letters, first pages and synopsis get refined with each submission.View submitting like a game (or competitive sport, even!) and you will develop writing muscles and thicker skin--so each rejection won't feel so much like a personal setback. When you bite into that gooey s'more around the campfire this summer, remember to send out more submissions!

What do other writers do better?  

Submit S'more!

1. Research a wide variety of places and formats to submit work. 
2. Do it.
3. Go in-depth. What are specific interests of editors and agents? What do they want more of—or no more of? Find out by reading blogs, publisher websites, agents and editor interviews online, in magazines, on panels at conferences, etc.
4. Re-work the same idea to submit to different niche publications. For example, while writing historical fiction, can you write non-fiction articles on some of the lesser-known characters or fascinating facts you've unearthed while doing research? This doubles as building buzz for your book release!
5. Enter contests that give you a return on investment for your entry dollars. (i.e. actual writing feedback and getting your work in front of editors seeking what you write.) Pacific Northwest Writers Association annual contest is one that gives you two professional critiques for a reasonable entry fee.
6. Consider writing a business, not a hobby.
7. Keep track of submissions = it becomes more like a game = thicker skin = more submissions = improved chances of publication!

Submission Chart

Find a system that is quick and easy for you to create and use to keep better track of submissions. Make a simple chart, spreadsheet, or use a poster board and markers. A box of color-coded index cards is another way to keep track. Keep it simple and you will use it!

Put columns across the top of your chart such as:

Title   

Editor or Agent    

Pub/Agency House   

Source of Contact     

Date Sent

Date Reply Expected

Date Actual Reply

Comments/Follow-up Requested

BE OPTIMISTIC
Nobody said this was easy or fair, but thicken your skin and submit s'more. Add extra columns to the chart above for Income and #Sales. I printed several blank charts and three-hole punched them into a binder. I scribble with whatever pencil or pen is handy to jot down the details on the chart as I send them out and receive replies. You will see more rejections—but a golden ticket might be hiding in the Wonka bar, too!

QUESTIONS: 
How many times did you submit the same writing before it was accepted for publication? 
Have you found exceptional contests or other methods of getting your work out there?

Stealing and Stalking

by Suzanne Cordatos

Teachers have scolded us for plagiarism ever since we learned the three-finger grip on a pencil. Stalking is just plain creepy. However, writers, aren't we known for our powers of observation? Maybe we should pay closer attention to our dark sides. As editors say, there isn’t a new story under the sun—only new ways to tell it. When you're stuck for an idea, tap into your considerable skills of observation as one way of getting creative juices flowing.

Steal an idea. Work it like Playdoh.

Knead it, twist it until the idea is unrecognizable and becomes a creation of your own and not a clichéd duplicate. In a favorite TV show recently, pieces of earth rose from the floor of a cave and morphed into a ghost/robot/monster thing. Movie scenes instantly came to mind: mummies from a desert-sandstorm and a ghostly Headmaster Dumbledore rising from dusty floorboards in a Harry Potter. Each of these transforming dust bunnies is creative, unique--and part of a completely brand new story.

Highlight favorite lines while you read. Steal the technique, not the line. Analyze the sentence. What makes some sentences great? Is it the word order that reads like a punch line? Is it the blend of sounds, the writer’s use of alliteration or onomatopoeia that makes the line linger on your tongue like candy? Is it a description of food so gorgeous it makes your mouth water? Keep a small notebook of favorites and refer to it when you want to describe a sunny beach in such a way your readers will want sunscreen.

Stalking 101. We learn writing tips from conferences, books and blogs. We learn how to write settings from paying attention to the world around us. A trip to the local library or bookstore can be another good teacher. Choose a stack of books in your genre. Who publishes the books you relate to the most? Take notes which publishers might appreciate your work when you're ready to submit.

      Sit on a comfy chair near the genre you write. What do teens roll their eyes at in the YA section? What do middle graders giggle about? What images do toddlers poke stubby fingers at and giggle?

      How do adults choose new authors? The cover catches an eye. Flip the book over to scan the back blurb. If all is well, a reader might read the first paragraph. That’s typically it.

            

     The back blurb
Can you write your entire novel idea in three or four exciting sentences just like the back blurb of a book cover? Research books in your genre (i.e. PLAYDOH METHOD, see above) and compare your own write-up. Does it have the same zingy tone? Show it to a few reader friends (preferably those not in your critique group) -- Is this a story they’d likely continue? Are you able to be richly concise with your main character, plot and theme?

     The first paragraph
Does your novel's first paragraph stand up to the same type of scrutiny?

Enlighten us! How has your keen sense of observation improved your writing?

Slippery Slope of New Year's Resolutions

By Suzanne Y. Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

January is a slippery slope for those who set the new resolution bar too high. Writers are great dreamers who like to think, "My book will spawn the next super franchise" or "When my website gets off the ground, my Amazon ranking will zoom to the top." Pressuring yourself to accomplish the near-impossible within one calendar year is setting yourself up to fail. (The dreamer in me had to add "near," Never impossible.)

When my first pair of skis arrived under the tree in fourth grade I raced to the local ski center, which boasted a bunny slope, a lumpy black diamond and some intermediate runs. The chair lift whisked me thirty feet off the ground in seconds. On the way to the summit, I tapped my skis together to shake off snow when the boots sprang out of the brand new but poorly adjusted bindings. As this happened in the 1970's, both skis remained attached to the boots by "safety" straps. I struggled to shove the boots back onto the skis, but I couldn't fix them in mid-air. I waved wildly to the operator in the hut at the top as I approached with both skis dangling, but to no avail. I rolled off the high-speed chair praying my legs wouldn't break in the tangle and that the people coming off the next chair wouldn't ski over my face.

Big goals start with successful baby steps. Before tackling the black diamond in new skis, a test run on the bunny hill—with its two-feet-on-the-ground rope-tow—would have set me on a better course that day. Set achievable goals, and the summit will be in sight. 

What are your goals for 2013?

I plan to end sloppy habits and get my novel to a publisher. Baby steps will carry me closer to big goals. Here's how:

Big Goal: Be a prolific writer. 
BABY STEPS: Produce more, procrastinate less.

I CAN and PROMISE to use those ten minute gaps in my schedule to write more often.
A sentence at a time. A paragraph at a time. A page at a time.
I CAN and PROMISE to complete my works in progress, one at a time.
I CAN and PROMISE to power through the muddles in the middle. Set deadlines, or use contests as a goal. 

Big Goal: Get my writing off slush piles, onto bestseller lists.
BABY STEPS: Improve my chances by improving my craft. 

I CAN and PROMISE to seek out appropriate beta readers and critique partners.
I CAN and PROMISE to trust my instincts more. And READ more.
I CAN and PROMISE to devote one workshop to my own development per year.

I CAN and PROMISE to develop a business and marketing strategy.
I CAN and PROMISE to write tighter. Find and delete repeated words—here's a link for a great list of overused words: http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/echoes-repeat-offenders/

Big Goal: Get my work known by a great editor or agent.
BABY STEPS: Improve my chances by improving my network. 

I CAN and PROMISE to comment on other people's websites and blogs.
I CAN and PROMISE to keep in touch with new writing friends.
I CAN and PROMISE to submit work to editors who attend those conferences.

Writing with Focus

Writing with Focus

By Karen Cioffi

You have a wonderful idea for a story. Maybe it’s a mystery novel, a children’s middle grade story, or a picture book. You know what you want to say, or convey, and you start typing away. This is the beginning of every story.

But, we should backtrack a moment and go back to the idea. The idea: your protagonist has a problem or conflict, and you can see how each chapter or section will be worked out. You are sure you can bring your idea to full fruition, without the use of an outline. Okay, that’s fine. Many writers use the by-the-seat-of-your-pants writing method.

So, off your mind and fingers fly . . . creating something from nothing . . . well, not exactly from nothing, from an idea.

This, again, is the beginning. You type a draft of your story. How long this process will take depends on how long your manuscript will be, whether a novel, short story, children’s story, or other. Take note, though, even if your story is as short as a children’s picture book, you still need focus in your writing.

According to Merriam-Webster, focus is a “point of concentration” or “directed attention,” and this is what we need to have in our writing.

Writing with Focus

Focus is the path you're on that will take you from point A to point B. It’s the path from beginning to end that keeps the story together, with directed attention, and wraps it neatly up. An example might be an ice skater whose goal is to become good enough to get into the Olympics. His focus will be to train vigorously to accomplish his goal. Another example might be that of a school bus on its route to pick up children and bring them to school. The shop is where the bus begins, point A. It will end up at the school, point B. But, between point A and point B, the bus must deviate from the direct path in order to pick up each child. 

The same holds true for your story. There is a path or focus the story needs to follow to accomplish its goal. If you deviate too much from this path your story becomes diluted or weak. This is not to say you cannot have subplots, it means everything needs to be tied together moving forward on the same path toward the same end. It needs to be focused

Using an outline can often help with maintaining focus, even with a short story. An outline is kind of a writing GPS that guides you along the way, to a focused ending. It allows you to stray here and there with the comfort of knowing that you need to be at certain points throughout the manuscript. It’s a reminder to keep you focused. 

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